Tales Of The Battles' Ghost
by SuperPsychoLove
Summary: There are tales of different figures through history appearing in records of the Revolutionary War. Well, conspiracy theorists would throw a party if they could read the story of one girl. A 21st century girl. And an 18th century girl. A true American hero. A patriot. A ghost.
1. Chapter 1: Madison Ryans

**AN: Wow! There are barely any of us left in the Patriot fandom! I hope my fellow Patriots will find this fic! It's just a new idea I had while watching the movie for the millionth time, and it's probably crappy and unrealistic, but PLEASE REVIEW! :)**

Madison Ryans stared at the paper in front of her in a daze, occasionally sketching little stick figures on it, and then glancing up at the large projector screen at the front of the room.

Her stomache grumbled, but after a breakfast of old cerial, what could you expect?

Her life was that of any other girl her age.

A single, 16-year-old, living in Boston.

She was born in the south, then moved to Arkansas when she was twelve, then moved again to Boston when she was thirteen.

Her mother was a single nurse, working at the local hospital, and her father was... well... wherever he decided to go after the divorce.

Anyway, Madison glared at the educational film with hatred.

Mrs. Marshal always made her classes watch stupid war documentaries.

This one was called 'The Patriot'.

Apparently, the teacher thought it would be proper to watch a movie today, considering tomorrow all the advanced science classes were heading to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) to see the biggest scientific breakthrough ever.

A man named Dr. Roufus Valley had, along with his students, created the world's very first portal that allowed its user to travel into electronic media.

A cyber-transporter, if you will.

They had already tested it on several willing subjects (one hundred subjects, to be exact) and it had worked perfectly.

The dean of MIT had thought it to be a great idea for local highschool physics students to come and exhibit it, even if it wasn't open for commercial use yet.

Madison stared off into space, wondering about the possibilities of time travel. I mean, if they had already come up with this, then why not?

She'd love to go back in history and meet George Washington. He seemed like such a lovely man, and history was her favorite subject anyway. She just didn't like these dumb reinactments of the past events, such as this film.

...

"MADISON!"

"What!?" Madison jolted out of her thoughts when she heard her friend, Jamie, yelling at her.

"I SAID did you give Mrs. Holiday your fifty bucks to go on the trip tomorrow?"

"Oh... uh, yeah."

"And the permission slip?"

"Yeah."

"Completed?"

"Yeah."

"Signed?"

"YES! OKAY! IT'S SIGNED, SEALED, AND DELIVERED! OKAY?"

Jamie laughed at her outburst.

As the bell rang, the blonde yelled back at Madison "Oh yeah, Madi, just don't wear those boots you had on the other day! With those kinds of heels, you'll trip off the platform and fall in! Wouldn't want you getting stuck in a game of Mario Brothers, would we?"

"Shut up!" Madison laughed, as she exited the classroom, heading down the hall to her locker.

Yeah...

Tomorrow was gonna be quite the experience.

She smirked to herself at the thought.

**AN: Wow I really hope this story goes well! I haven't developed it yet, but I'm planning to add a lot of centimental plotline in future chapters!**

**REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2: Into the Past

**AN: In my defense, I wrote this at like midnight soooo... sorrryyy. :/ **

**Anyway, REVIEW! :3**

Madison wiped tears from her eyes as her mother screamed at her through the bedroom door.

"YOU'RE HOPELESS! JUST LIKE YOUR DAD!"

Madison felt another tear fall at this comment.

This morning when she woke up, her mom was already pissed because they'd overslept. The teen remembered cuddling into her pillow as her mother had yelled at her to get out of bed.

Then, Madison had gotten a slight attitude with her because they disagreed on what time the buses left for the university.

To make a long story short, her mom had slapped her (as usual) and then started yelling at her about various things.

All the teen could do was wipe away the tears and dig through her closet.

Upon pulling out a pair of ripped jeans, a navy blue tank top, and a black jacket with a skull on the left breast, she snatched her clothes on angrily.

She wasn't sad anymore.

By now, her sorrow had turned into rage, like it usually did.

She pulled her maroon duffle bag out of the top of her closet and began stuffing articles of clothing into it.

This was the last straw.

She was staying at Jamie's tonight whether her mom liked it or not.

...

Then something caught her eye.

The wrinkled up brochure that sat in the neon trash bin at her bedside.

As she read 'WORLD'S FIRST CYBER-TRANSPORTER', she realized it was the flyer her teacher had handed out about a week ago for the field trip they were going on today.

Madison thought about the machine.

She thought about how little friends she actually had in school.

About how her dad had abandoned her.

And how her mom hated her.

She had nothing that was really keeping her here.

Nothing she would... miss.

A full-fledged evil grin spread across her face, and she shoved ALL of the clothes in her closet into the bag.

Irritantly grabbing a larger bag to accomedate her wardrobe, she perfected her plan.

She would go on the field trip with the rest of her science class, and take her bag with her, saying she planned to stay at a friend's house when she left the university.

When she walked in the doors, she'd hide the bag, so as to not get questioned by anyone. Then, when everyone began demanding a demonstration of the lovely transporter, she'd allow the techs to turn it on for her, and she'd make sure she was the one to volunteer to give an example location, which would be the movie she saw in class the other day. She would wait until right before they powered down the device, and make her move.

Smiling proudly, she threw the heavy tote over her shoulder, and prepared to face her furious mother.

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Everything was going perfectly as planned.

Her classmates had given the equiptment specialists such good puppy-dog eyes that he had no choice but to fire up the transporter.

Madison prepared to make a move.

As she'd expected, security had demanded to check her gigantic bag, and she allowed them to. When they found no weapon of any sort, they apologized for the inconvenience and let her on her way.

She had set the bag down next to the machine on the pedestal, while everyone was admiring it.

All she needed to do now was get the computerized band and jump through.

It was time for her to make her move.

She didn't even have to worry about raising her hand and requesting the man to type _The Patriot_'s movie ID number into the control panel. Chelsey Kurshaw did it for her.

"Now, then. I think I'd better deactivate the device before someone takes a nasty spill through there." the tech began to say, reaching for the control keys.

"WAIT!" Madison interupted him, a little too eagerly for her taste, and proceeded to step onto the platform.

"Can I try the bracelet on?" she did her best to sound too ignorant to be planning anything.

He stared at her uncertainly, accidently forgetting to power down the vortex behind him.

"I suppose."

He pulled out the black velcro device with blue nano-technological markings and wires and censors on it.

He strapped it around the upper part of the girl's arm, and patted it to smooth out the humped up part of material.

"Now, how would you get back into reality after you were done being animated or whatever?" she questioned.

"That's classified information." he said, smiling slyly at her.

She annoyedly rolled her eyes, but managed a fake smile to keep his suspicions to a minimum.

After a few more seconds of awkward silence and mumbles coming from the group, the tech spoke up.

"Alright, well I believ that's en-"

WHAM!

Madison cut him off, shoving him onto the ground.

In the blink of an eye, she snatched up her bag, pushed past the guard rope, and dodged the hands trying to catch her.

She flung herself unceremoniously into the portal, and closed her eyes, waiting for impact.

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There was a bright light.

So bright, that Madison was almost blinded for a few minutes.

She felt herself hit hard on something, and continue to lay there.

But she couldn't see what she was laying on.

It felt grainy, and... slick.

Maybe she'd fallen and landed on the equiptment tech.

...

Wow, that'd suck.

As the haze cleared from her vision, she saw something that startled her.

Dirt.

And grass.

She was resting on the earhty soil near an oak tree.

But that wasn't even the weirdest part. What scared her, was the woman in the corset and long skirt that was currently towering over her, with a worried gaze.

"Good heavens! Are you alright, darling?" the lady asked.

Madison looked around.

She saw a few buildings in the distance, and the woman was positioned right in front of a horse and a covered wagon.

"Where am I?" she asked.

The woman looked puzzled.

"Well, Pembroke, Dear... Are you sure you're alright? Why are you wearing... britches?"

Madison rubbed her head.

If she was in Pemroke then... it must've worked!

She must've been in the beginning of the movie!

"Umm... I had to borrow them from a friend. I'm not quite from around here." Madison explained. "I must've been walking into town when I became faint." she tried to lie.

THe woman looked strangely at her.

"I'm so sorry to trouble you, Miss."

The woman gave her a concerned glance, before helping her up.

"Um... by any chance, could you direct me to Benjamin Martin's home, please?"

The woman's eyes narrowed at her.

"I'm a close friend of his!" Madison quickly added.

"Well..." the lady looked her up and down. "If you go just around that bend, you'll see a pathway leading to a farm. That's where he and his family live." she explained, as she pointed west.

Madison smiled, mumbling her appreciation, as she hurried off toward the direction of his abode.

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For the location to be "just around the bend", it took Madison EIGHT FLIPPING HOURS TO GET THERE!

Granted, she got lost atleast five times, and then took about seven thirty-minute breaks, but still she had to walk a lot!

Needless to say, she was pissed when she arrived.

If it weren't for the sound of ammunition nearby, she would've passed out in the front yard.

As she walked over with her bag in tow, and knocked on the wooden door, she feared what this nineteenth century family would think of her.

Would he attempt to shoot her?

She was wearing other worldly clothing, for this time period, and the idea of her being a British spy was a very real conclusion.

She only prayed that Abigail would answer the door. Maybe she'd give her a better oppurtunity to explain herself.

Madison had no such luck.

It was indeed the head of the house that creaked open the door, warily, and eyed her like she was a lab sample.

"Who are you?" he finally asked, in a deep distrusting voice.

She inhaled a shaky breath, and gathered all the courage she could find.

"My name is Madison Ryans. You do not know me, but as you can probably tell from my clothing, I am not from here. No, I am not a British spy, but I'm also not one of your neighbors. If I told you where I come from, you'd think me insane. Or worse. But... that doesn't matter at the moment." she said, trying her very best to talk like someone from this time period. "I beg you to let me inside. Your son, Gabriel will be-"

"How do you know my son?" he cut her off.

"That isn't important. He's wounded, and he will arrive any minute now. Please! You have to believe me!" she panicked, constantly looking over her shoulder for any sign of danger.

Mr. Martin looked totally baffled.

Nevertheless, he rushed her inside.

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When she entered, she saw that the Martin family was having dinner. Politely, she went into another room to stay out of their way, but she could feel their wary eyes following her every move.

After about ten minutes, they had given up on eating.

It wasn't much longer after that that Madison heard the clicking of the tumblers in the doorknob.

She bolted up, and rushed over.

Benjamin grabbed her arm.

"Are you crazy?" he whispered. "That could be a British soldier!"

She just snatched her arm away from him, and allowed the man to step infront of her cautiously.

A figure entered the dim light of the room.

She knew who it was just by his silouette.

But that didn't stop Mr. Macho from going all 'military man' on his son.

"Slowly turn." he bit out, aiming a rifle at the mystery person.

As the man turned, he tiredly slurred out "Father..."

Benjamin rushed over to the boy, and threw his arm around his shoulder for support.

He began giving Abigail and the children different commands as to what he needed to inspect Gabriel's wounds.

Madison just walked into the living area, and waited calmly in front of the fire.

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"You knew." Benjamin said, walking up to Madison.

"Yes, I did." she said.

"How'd you know? Did you see him approaching the house?

"With all due respect, Sir, I arrived atleast fifteen minutes before him. There is no way our paths would've crossed." she said.

Benjamin was quiet.

"What do you want?" he finally asked.

"If you meant to ask me why I came here, then your answer is very simple. I can help you. You may not want my help. You may not even know what you'd need my help with right now, but trust me when I say, you will soon understand." she said.

"Help me with what?" he asked.

"You are a patriot, yes?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes."

"Then, there will come a time when you must fight for your beliefs. You will have to uphold your principles, and it will not be easy. But I promise, if you let me, I will be here through all of it." she finished.

He just stared at the young girl.

"What are you talking about?" he finally asked.

She smiled, knowingly.

"Do you want this to be a free nation?" she asked.

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then, you must make a promise to fight for our freedom. And keep it."

"What promise?"

Madison put her hand over her heart, and motioned for him to do that same.

He did everything she told him to, as she led him through a strange ritual.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America. And to the republic, for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible. With liberty and justice for all."

He stared at her.

"Where did you get that?"

"Where I'm from, it's a very popular saying." she smirked.

"Wh-" he began, but stopped.

When he turned to face her, she was gone.

**AN: REVIEW! :)**


	3. Chapter 3: The Next Morning

**AN: Pleeeaaaase review! It means so much to me! And thank you guys who already reviewed! :)**

That night, Madison slept in the barn. She assumed the Martins knew she was there, and since they never asked her to leave, they probably didn't mind.

It wasn't comfortable, trying to rest her head on a lumoy bail of hay, but it provided a rustic feel that seemed to make her more grounded. Just being here, even if it had been no more than a day, made her happier than she ever was in the city.

Early the next morning, about four o'clock, she began to get restless. The hay she slept in felt damp and dirty, and she suddenly realized how disgusting her current situation really was. This was the same dried grass that the livestock ate, and it probably harbored millions of different types of bacteria.

This made Madison remember her aunt Kathy, back home. She was a germophobe. Big time. She couldn't touch a doorknob without using hand sanitizer.

Madison smiled in the middle of all the darkness that engulfed the rafter. Boy, would Kathy have a field day with this.

All at once, memories flooded back. The girl became nostalgic and homesick.

She felt her stomache rumble as if she would vomit.

She began to sweat like she was having a panic attack.

Her eyes became misty.

After throwing some random clothes on, she tossed the duffle bag over her shoulder and pulled her hair back into a high ponytail, that was still partly straightened from the day before.

She jumped up and did a little tip-toe run over to the ladder that lead back to dry moldless earth.

Practically jumping down it, and onto the ground, she hoisted the gigantic doors open, and gaped at what was seen.

Various redcoats were either sitting or lying on the porch, alongside different wounded continental soldiers. Their was a tall handsome man, obviously British, talking to Benjamin.

She hadn't seen this coming. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten about this part of the movie. Madison sprinted across the yard and practically jumped up the steps.

The Brit turned to give her a worried look.

"Well, hello." he said, attempting to ignore her attire and be as polite as possible.

Madison looked at Benjamin then back at the man.

"... Hello." she said.

Then, things began to go bad.

Benjamin and the British man turned at the sound of hooves pounding the ground. Madison's head snapped in the direction of the Dragoons, watching them get closer.

"No..." she mumbled.

Benjamin looked at her, but then turned back to the scene in front of him.

She wanted to run over to Thomas and shove him into the house, as she thought of his impending doom.

"No no no no." she babbled, her eyes getting misty once again.

But she couldn't alter the movie. If she did, she might never get out of it. But... that's what she'd came here for, right? To change history? Now that she was here, she was having second thoughts. Maybe it was best to just let it happen. Maybe... oh god, maybe it was best to save him.

She hurried over to the boy, who was only over a year or two younger than her.

"Thomas!" she whisper-yelled.

He gave her a wide-eyed look.

"What?" he whispered back.

"When Tavington gets here, he'll take Gabriel, but you can't try to be the hero and save him! Do you hear me? Don't be the fucking hero! I swear if you do I will slap you so hard-"

Madison was cut off, as the colonel began to speak, giving orders to his men.

He said something to the workers of the farm, but Madison wasn't listening.

She was too busy focusing on the young boy standing beside her. Her small hands wrapped around his forearm so tight, she thought she saw him wince.

A man walked up to Tavington, handing him a marked parcel.

"Who carried this?" the evil man asked.

Nobody answered.

THe air around the porch grew tense.

"WHO CARRIED THIS!?" he shouted.

"I-I did, sir." Gabriel finally answered.

Madison squeezed her eyes shut.

"I was wounded, and these people gave me care." he tried explaining. "They have nothing to do with the dispatches."

Tavington smirked.

"Take this one to camp. He is a spy. Hang him, put his body on display." he said, casually.

Thomas jerked his arm away from Madison, and took a step forward, looking mortified.

Benjamin tried to object, explaining that he had no reason to be hanged, but the colonel wasn't hearing it.

"Kernel..." Benjamin began to raise his voice.

"Father!" Gabriel whisper-yelled, as the men holding him tightened their grip.

Tavington suddenly caught on.

"Oh, I see. He's your son." he said. "Well maybe you should've taught him something about loyalty."

"Sir, I beg you to reconsider! By the rules of war-"

"Rules of war? Would you like a lesson, sir?" Tavington threatened, pointing his pistol at Mr. Martin.

Madison stood helplessly in front of the children on the porch.

"Or perhaps your children would..." he pointed the gun in Madison's direction.

Her eyes widened.

Benjamin ran over to them protectively.

"No, please! No lesson is necessary!" he practically begged.

"Sir... what of the rebel wounded?" the man from earlier asked, breaking the silence.

"Kill them."

The man looked like he wanted to argue, but he'd never butt heads with his commanding officer.

So, everyone was quiet.

And in that small fraction of a second, it seemed like an eternity. A long, drawn out stretch of regret, that Madison felt, because she she knew exactly what was to come. And she was starting o realize that she couldn't stop it.

Then, he spoke.

"Father, do something!" he demanded.

"Be quiet!" Benjamin hissed at him, walking back onto the porch.

Madison forced the water from her lashes, as the whole thing happened so quickly.

It wasn't as bad as she thought. It was actually just a blurr... like someone had pressed fast-forward.

She wasn't fully aware of what was happening... only snippets fully registered in her mind.

"Gabriel, run!"

...

"Thomas?"

...

"THOMAS!"

...

And then there was the gunshot.

**AN: Review! :)))))**


	4. Chapter 4: Thomas

**AN: Okay, firstttt... THANK YOU to the guest reviewer/reviewers who've been supporting me! I wish you would consider making an account, though, so I could PM you! :) Anyway, on with the story!**

Benjamin sprinted from the porch and caught his son before he hit the ground.

"NOOOOO!" Gabriel shouted, as he was dragged away by two British officers.

Madison looked around her. She didn't want to be here anymore.

Benjamin Martin looked up at Tavington.

"Stupid boy." he bit out.

Madison saw the look on the broken father's face. It was just a little worse than the look her own mother always got, right after she'd hit Madison. It was a look of regret and failure as a parent.

Except... there was a little something different in Benjamin's expression.

It was anger, mixed with sorrow.

She didn't blame him for one second. His child had just been murdered!

"Captain." the colonel said, and rode off.

She glared daggers into his back, wishing she could run up and knock him off that damn horse.

All the other children ran to their father's side, with wet eyes and runny noses. Sniffling and stuttering, they called Thomas's name.

It absolutely broke Madison's heart.

To hear a child crying over something so serious. Most children only had to cry over things like losing their favorite toys or not getting their way, but Madison knew what it was like to be a kid and feel real pain.

She recalled all the harsh words and beatings her mother had forced on her.

All the times her father should've been there to stop them, but wasn't.

All her uncles, aunts, and cousins who would easily trade her for a few dollars and a fix.

All her "friends" who didn't care enough to be there for her.

She knew pain. She knew loss. She knew how it felt, and she saw her own tears reflect on Margaret's face, as the small blonde girl stared at her brother's pale corpse.

Madison's sadness left her.

She begame angry.

No longer caring if she messed up the timeline or not, she charged into the house, ignoring the growing flames.

After only a few seconds of searching, she found Benjamin's stash of military weapons.

Not really knowing how to use any of the guns, she grabbed three random ones, a handful of bullets, a Cherokee hatchet, and a pair of small daggers.

She looked at the thin blade of her weapon of choice.

Yeah, she could use these. It looked easy enough.

So, she walked back outside, having to dodge a flaming beam on the way, and presented Samuel and Nathan with two of the guns.

She looked up to a distraught Benjamin, and held a gun out to him.

He just stared at her.

Finally accepting the musket, Benjamin walked over to his remaining sons.

"Samuel, Nathan." he stated firmly.

He stared at them for a few minutes, and they both nodded in silent understanding.

Then he looked at his eldest daughter.

"Margaret." he instructed her to take the youngest two to their Aunt Susan's plantation if he, Samuel, and Nathan should not return.

Then, he looked at Madison.

"Madison..."

She looked away from him, feeling the awkwardness of being in the middle of a family emergency, when she wasn't a family member.

"Go with Margaret." he said.

Her eyes widened.

"Boys," he said, as he began to walk away.

"Wait a minute!" Madison stopped him.

He snapped his head to her in annoyance.

"I'm coming with you." she announced.

He looked at her like she was a nut.

She walked over to where he and his boys stood.

"I'm coming." she said again. This time her words were stronger, and less shaky.

The man didn't say anything. Just turned and began walking.

"Hey!" she yelled, running after him.

He gave her an icy look, but it didn't faze her in the least. She'd seen a lot worse.

"Thought you might need this." she said, presenting him with his tomahawk.

He took it, and without any word of praise, ran off in the direction of the Brits.

Madison just shook her head, and tried to keep up.

She'd never been very athletic, and as she wore her brand new Keds, she realized how much she should've broken the things in before planning on wearing them.

"Shit!" she whispered, short of breath.

When Benjamin finally stopped on a small hill, overlooking a pathway, Madison almost passed out.

She didn't even hear him telling the boys about how to shoot the guns. She was too busy trying to feel for her pulse, that was definately at an unhealthy rate by now.

"Madison," Benjamin's words snapped her out of her cardiac-induced episode.

He looked around for a moment, trying to think of what he should say to her.

"Stay out of sight."

Madison rolled her eyes.

Men.

Even in the 1700s, they still thought they were superior.

She smirked, and knelt behind a tree.

It wasn't long before a group of men in red uniforms, carrying weapons, and mounted on horses was seen in the distance.

Madison glanced swiftly at Samuel and Nathan, who were practically hidden in the brush, looking very anxious. Then, she looked over at Mr. Martin. He looked completely eager to kill the men that broke his family, and she couldn't blame him.

She sighed quietly, hoping her choice of weapons wasn't a bad one, and shrunk even lower behind the tall pine.

She was a few feet closer to edge of the hill than the males were, so if the Brits saw any of them, it would be her.

And she didn't have anything to shoot them with.

She tried to calm her breathing as the redcoats came closer, finally passing directly by the hill she and the boys were on.

"Lord, make me fast and accurate." Benjamin whispered a short prayer.

Madison was too scared to speak, so she made a mental request.

"God, make me fearless." she thought to herself, and peaked out from behind the tree to see the kind officer from earlier riding on a horse, almost right in front of her.

Benjamin was the first to fire, killing the man in the very front.

As he fell from his steed, everyone else went on high alert.

Next, Samuel fired. Then Nathan.

Both of their shots found their target with ease. Madison just sat, crouched, behind the tree and waited for the signal to attack.

Soon, the Britishmen started to fire back.

Madison was somewhat alright with this, having known it would happen, until a bullet clipped the side of the tree that was shielding her.

She jerked away from the small projectile, and stood up, frantic. She still hid behind the foliage, but now she was restless, ready to get out of the imaginary bubble she'd put around her hiding spot.

One of the men aimed his gun at Nathan, but Benjamin jumped out of cover and briefly revealed himself to draw their attention.

The next thing Madison knew, he was charging down the hillside at the officers.

She took this as a que, mustered her courage, and ran after him.

Having several male friends, she'd learned a few basic fighting skills, but not enough to be of any competition of a male soldier.

All she had was the two daggers... so that's what she went with.

Sprinting into the middle of the anarchy, she kicked some random man behind the knees, knocking him to the ground. Then, punched him in the face, hard enough to break his nose, and dragged the blade across his throat.

She was pretty sure that the only reason she had the upper hand was because he hadn't been expecting to be attacked, but that didn't matter much to her right now. She'd killed him, and that was that.

So she moved to her next victim, kicking him in his rather plump stomache, and slashing him right in the face. He fell to the ground.

Moving through the bunch, she managed to kill about six men in total, by the time a tall muscular body slammed iself into hers.

She fell to the ground, and tried to catch her breath, but the brute aimed his gun at her head. Rolling out of the way, she managed to slice into the artery near his ankle.

"Aaaaah!" he screamed, falling to his knees.

She stood up, angrier than before, and pulled the other dagger out. With one in each hand, she dug them into his shoulder blade. Then his collarbone, then his ribs, then his breast bone. And as his back made contact with the ground, she delivered one last fatal blow to his kneck.

Enraged, she just stood over him for a few moments, watching the crimson liquid gush from his body, but then the sound of distant pleas snapped her out of her trance.

She looked up to see that Benjamin had chased one man into the woods, and was now brutallt chopping him to bits.

Silently hoping she hadn't looked this sadistic when she killed those other people, she slowly backed over to where his sons were standing, mouths agape.

They were all somewhat surprised at his incredible rage. And even if Madison had seen it in the movie, she was starting to realize how different it was in person.

It was more terrifying.

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The walk back was very quiet. No one said anything at all the whole time.

Madison felt numb.

She'd killed people. She just couldn't believe she had killed those people. It was surreal.

When they finally arrived at the charred remains of the Martin home, it was still simmering. The black ash covered the ground around Thomas's dead body.

She couldn't believe that she hadn't tried to prevent this. It was her fault.

She looked away from Benkamin as he knelt by his fallen son. She didn't care to watch it. The whole point of coming into this alternate reality was to escape her own. But maybe if she had been a little less selfish, she would have realized that these people needed her.

She sighed, and looked down at herself for the first time today. She had blood and dirt splattered on her new shoes. It was also on her black T-shirt and ripped jeans. The charm bracelets and wristbands she wore were dirty, just like her skin. She needed a bath! Even her hair, in the high ponytail, was now falling in all directions.

Her makeup was running. Not that she had bothered to put any on this morning, but it had remained from the day before.

Later that afternoon, a burial ceremony was held for Thomas.

It was melancholy, but not unbearable. Really, she just wanted to sleep. She was so tired.

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Later that night, after a long bumpy ride in a covered wagon, Madison and the family arrived at Charlotte's plantation.

It was an average sized place, compared to others of that time frame, but to Madison, it looked like a castle.

The children all piled out upon arrival, and Benjamin hurried to greet his wife's sister.

Gabriel, on the other hand, moped around, seemingly dragging himself up to the porch.

"Woah." Madison whispered breathlessly.

He snapped his head around to look at her, as if he'd just remembered that he was in her company.

He smiled somberly, trying to be polite through his grieving.

"It's... big..." Madison gaped.

"It's a fair size for a plantation." he stated casually. "You've not seen one this large before?" he asked, curiously.

"I've uh... I don't think I've ever seen one at all." she muttered.

He turned to face her, and stopped walking.

"You've never seen a plantation?" He asked, baffled.

"Well, no. Where I'm from... there really isn't any need for them." she said, trying not to reveal that she was from modern day America.

He stared at her, causiously.

"Where exactly are you from?" he questioned. "There are plantations in almost every esteemed nation."

"I... can't say. I mean, if I did, you wouldn't believe me."

He just looked at her.

"How'd you know?"

"Know what?"

"That night. How did you know?"

She pretended to be confused.

"And today with... Thomas... I saw you restrain him. How did you know he was going to do what he did?"

"Well," she started, putting a hand on his shoulder and directing his gaze to the family exchanging pleasantries on the porch. "Sometimes you can just tell... even if a stranger... when a man is willing to give his life for his passion... his pride... his family."

Gabriel smiled and turned a few moments after he felt the warm hand leave his shoulder.

"Who are y-"

He stopped.

Madison was gone.

**AN: Okay guys pleeeaaaase review! You don't know how much it means to the author when you take the time to write a comment on her story! PLEEEAAASE! **

**And thanks to my previous reviewers!**

**I love you guys and this fandom... even if it is small.**

**...**

**REVIEW**


	5. Chapter 5: Into the Militia

**AN: R&R Pleeeeaaase! :)**

That night, Madison slept in a spare bedroom of Charlotte's plantation.

She was the last one to go inside, other than Gabriel who had stood out there until it was dark. She didn't think anyone really noticed her come in- Benjamin was too busy consoling his younger children- so she snuck up to a bedroom on the second floor and gave them their privacy.

She'd grabbed her bag before they left Benjamin's home, and was happy to see that it hadn't been set ablaze.

Now, sitting on the beautiful bed, silk sheets flowing, she began to desperately feel the need for a bath. But she knew that wasn't going to happen, so she pulled out the shirt she'd worn the day before.

Wincing at the thought of her predicament, she began to wipe the blood, dirt, and sweat from her body, flipping the garment around many times to avoid rubbing more gunk onto her skin. She got every area she knew possible, and decided that maybe she'd find a river to bathe in tomorrow.

Finally finishing her grooming, she walked over to the window.

The sky was breath-taking. She could see the stars through the trees. This place truly seemed like a fairytale.

She began to hum softly.

[_"Stars" by Grace Potter_]

After the second verse, she had made her way back to the bed.

After the third verse, she was nodding off.

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The next day, at the crack of dawn, and with a new change of clothes, Madison had made her way down to the parlor, where she heard Benjamin and Gabriel conversing.

"Your place is here now." Benjamin said, obviously arguing.

"I'm going back." Gabriel declared. "I'm a soldier, it's my duty."

"No, your duty is to your family!"

Gabriel turned and walked away.

"Don't you walk away from me, boy!"

Madison stepped out of Gabriel's way quickly, before he had the chance to run over her. As they continued arguing, taking the battle outside, Charlotte looked over at Madison, her eyes wide.

"Uh... My name's Madison." she said.

Charlotte just smiled, warily.

"... Charlotte..."

Madison smiled, and stood there for a few seconds, awkwardly, before remembering that she was trying to keep up with the two men.

Sprinting out the door and into the yard, she concentrated on her sandals slapping against the ground to avoid thinking about the current conflict.

She looked to the porch where Benjamin stood, and back to the horse Gabriel was mounted on.

Without a word, the latter rode away angrily.

The tension was thick as she and the family watched on.

"I'm losing my family." Benjamin muttered, leaving to prepare his steid.

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Madison followed at a distance, and tried not to bother the irritable man until he was placing the saddle on his horse.

"Do I get a horse?" she asked.

He looked at her like she was stupid.

"What use would you have of one?" he asked.

"To ride to the military camp... I'm coming with you."

He scoffed.

"I'm comin-"

"You're a young lady and I don't have any idea of who you are or where your origins rest. Now, what if you were a spy? What would-"

"I need to go! Please trust me! I think it'd be best if-"

"You have to understand how- how horrific it would be if I showed up with-"

"LISTEN! Your name is Bejamin Martin. Your children's names are Thomas, Gabriel, Nathan, Samuel, Margaret, Susan, and William. You fought for the King's army at Fort Wilderness. You massacred many, MANY people in some of the most brutal ways... your wife is dead and you dislike Gabriel's involvement in the war. I know almost everything about you. Please... let me help. I PROMISE I CAN!" she begged.

He stared at her, mouth gaping.

...

"Well?"

"... I will have one of the workers ready your horse."

She smiled in triumph.

"YES!"

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After Benjamin finished his sad goodbyes, Madison found that she had absolutely no idea what to do in the situation.

She'd been introduced to all of them, yet she didn't know any of them good enough to actually feel bad about leaving.

She gave an awkward little one-handed wave to the crowd, and turned to mount her house.

"Let's see if I remember how to do this..." she whispered under her breath.

In her early childhood, she spent almost every summer with her cousins in Tennessee, so she had known how to ride for most of her life. Actually having retained that skill over a span of four years, however, was the problem. She hasn't laid eyes on her aunt Caroline's farm in about that long... ever since her dad left.

She hoisted herself up onto its back, locking her feet into the appropriate places, and taking the reins. She had mounted her stuff onto the sides of the saddle to make it easier to concentrate on riding.

She looked at Benjamin

"Ya ready?" she smiled.

He sneered. "Hardly."

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Madison had been followung Benjamin for what seemed like hours, so the teen was highly relieved when they finally made it to a stopping point. But it wasn't a camp. It was the random house she remembered from the movie.

When they met Gabriel in one of the rooms overlooking a battlefield, he seemed a lot less eager than before.

"I'm not going back." he stated.

"No, I didn't expect you would." Benjamin replied.

Gabriel glared at him for a split second, then turned his attention to Madison.

"Hi..." she said, awkwardly.

"Why is she here?" he asked his father.

"SHE has a name. It's Madison." she snapped.

He looked at her, eyes wide, then smirked.

"Why is MADISON here?"

She smiled. "because I wanna be." she said snarkly.

He stared at her.

"Really..."

She sighed. "I want to help you. I know a lot more than you do, and I promise that I can change things if you let me."

He looked back to the many soldiers falling randomly outside.

"That Gates is a damn fool." Benjamin spat.

"He spent too many years in the British army, going muzzle to muzzle with redcoats in open field. It's madness. " he said.

"This battle was over before it began."

"That's not true." Madison piped up.

"Don't you know anything of liberty... patriotism?"

They both just stared at her blankly.

"The land of the free and the home of the brave..." she mumbled.

"What?" Gabriel asked.

"The land of the free and the home of the brave. That's what my people call this land. Believe it or not, my homeland is very big. Lots of people... and every single one of them supports you guys with all their might." she explained.

"If they support us, why are they not here, helping us fight?" Benjamin challenged.

She looked him in the eye. "I'm here." she said. "I'm representing everything we stand for. That's why you must let me help you! I know so much more than it would appear... I am capable of doing so much more than you think."

Gabriel smiled kindly at her.

He looked at his father.

"Let's go."

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Upon arriving at the military camp, Madison was a little embarassed.

Every single person there was male...except her.

And her clothing didn't help her much.

She wore a solid black t-shirt, some ripped jeans that were rolled up at the bottom, several bracelets, and some sandals. Her hair was in a messy bun to avoid looking like she'd slathered chicken fat in it, and her nails still had the shiny black paint on them.

She stayed with Gabriel as Benjamin went to talk to the 'commanding officer'.

Seeing a torn American fllag on the ground, the young man beside her stooped to pick it up. He stared at it for a minute, solumnly.

"It's a lost cause." one soldier with a bandaged head said.

Madison watched as Gabriel stuffed the peice of cloth into a pouch he carried, and looked at her.

She smiled at the teen.

He gave her the faintest of smiles, before walking over to talk to some guy with a beard.

Feeling unwelcome, she decided to find Benjamin.

Retracing his steps led her to a large white tent a few feet away.

She quietly entered.

"We're a breath away from losing this war, Benjamin." a man said. As he explained the current predicament to Benjamin, she tried to be polite and give them some privacy.

... until she bumped the small stool that stood beside her, knicking it over with a loud crack.

Her eyes widened and her face went red.

She looked at the two men, and gave a nervous laugh.

"Uh... sorry." she said, looking away from them.

"And who is this?" the man asked.

"This is my... good friend... Madison." Benjamin said, awkwardly.

Madison's blush intensified.

The man exchanged a questioning glance with Mr. Martin, who just shook his head.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you... Miss Madison." he said.

"And you, Mr..."

"Burwell. Colonel Burwell." he said politely.

"Nice to meet you, Colonel Burwell." she smiled sweetly, glad to meet someone nice for a change.

"So... back to the problem at hand." Benjamin said.

"Well, Benjamin, our only option is to try and hold them here until the French arrive."

"The french?" he asked.

"They've promised a fleet and ten thousand troops."

"When?"

"Uhhh... six months at the earliest." Burwell said.

"You really trust the french to keep their word?" Benjamin asked.

Madison's eyes widened, knowing what would come next.

A man said something in french and rose from his seat.

"Benjamin Martin, Major Jean Villenueve..." Burwell introduced the two.

"The hero at Fort Wilderness, your reputation precedes you." Jean muttered.

Madison looked to the floor, having not been introduced to the frenchman.

Apparently Jean noticed this, because he extended his hand to her in a gentlemanly fashion.

"Jean Villenueve." he said, with a thick french accent.

She blushed, loving the way his name sounded better coming from his mouth than it did from Burwell's.

"Madison Ryans." she said, shyly, shaking his hand like a lady from this time period might... or attempting to.

He gave a good long look to her attire, but it wasn't a lustful look. It was more of just a prolonged glance.

She looked away, tired of all these damn people looking at her like a fool. If they were in her time period, roles would be reversed and she wouldn't seem like such a social outcast.

"You really expect to hold Cornwallis here with just militia?" Benjamin broke the silence.

"Well, not me. You." Burwell smirked.

Benjamin scoffed. "Harry, they're not soldiers, they're farmers. They'd be better off lettin' the British just march through."

"They'd be better off... but the cause wouldn't."

"How many men does Cornwallis have under his command?"

"Eight thousand infantry, around six hundred cavalry."

Burwell pulled a quill from atop a wooden desk, and dipped it into the ink, beginning to write something down.

"I'm giving you a field commission as a colonel." he said.

There was a pause.

"Might I request, sir, that you transfer my son, here, under my command?" Colonel Martin requested.

"Sir, no! I-" Gabriel tried to object.

"It's done." Burwell stated firmly.

"Thank you." Benjamin said slyly.

He and his son began to walk out of the tent, but Madison stopped them in their tracks.

"Wait! What about me?" she asked.

Burwell looked at her for a moment.

"You'll be escorted back to your home by one of my officers. Do not worry, you'll be safe." he casually assured her.

She hated how referred to her as if she was some damsel in distress. She hated the sound of sympathy in his voice, when there was no reason for him to sympathize over her.

"I can't be escorted home. I'm not from here, and it would impossible for any of you to get me back where I came from." she bit out, finally dropping her sweet facade.

They all looked at her, surprised.

"I'd like to join the militia." she said, strongly.

The room got dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone, even Benjamin and Gabriel, stared at her in bewilderment.

She looked over to Martin.

"Why did you think I wanted to come here with you? What other reason than to join the cause?"

"Miss Ryans, I'm very impressed with your patriotism, but I cannot allow you to join my army. You are a woman. Your place is at home. And, if you really want to help the cause, you may go back, and raise your children as patriots. Teach them about liberty and equality, but do not attempt to become a part of something you cannot handle."

Madison boiled with anger. She was absolutely outraged at his outward display of prejudice.

"I promise you, sir, I can handle it. I came here to help you guys win the war. I know thngs that none of you do, and I think they may be of great assisstance if-"

"Miss Ryans, I've already said no! That's final."

"But-"

"No."

She turned to walk away, thinking of one last resort that could get him to believe she would be of some use.

"Fine... Harry." she said, smirking.

"Stop right there." he commanded her.

She turned back to face the men.

"How did you know my name? Are you a British spy?" he demanded.

"No... it was just a lucky guess." she shrugged.

He frowned, and walked over to her.

"How do you know my name, young lady? I would advise you to speak up."

"I told you." she surrendered. "I know things that you guys don't. And I can help you."

Internally, she wondered why she was trying so hard to be accepted. She remembered exactly how it felt when she killed those men, after Thomas's death. After she'd calmed down and managed to stop seeing red, her adrenaline subsided. That's when the guilt came. An overwhelming feeling that she had gotten, telling her that what she had done was wrong. Nobody else her age, from her time period, would've ever done something so horrific. But... she liked it. It gave her the feeling that she was actually fighting for her her country, even if it was just a movie. And she loved that. She loved feeling like she was doing something productive for a change. She almost always felt completely useless...

Colonel Burwell looked over to Benjamin, who gave him a shocked expression, and then back to Madison.

He sighed.

"Very well."

She smiled.

"But, you will help Colonel Martin with his recruiting of the militia. I suppose a fine young lady like you might be able to convince some ole boys to join the cause." he said, jokingly.

She smiled. "Thank you."

And with that, Madison, Benjamin, and Gabriel exited the tent.


End file.
